# Olivia Serie V at 65 Humidity?



## Fuente 4 Me (May 8, 2012)

I don't know how you guys that store your sticks at 63-65 humidity. Yet another smoke completely trashed . The monte 2 earlier was horrible and now the Olivia Serie V again amongst a lot of others. Luckily I have some 70rf beads on the way thank god. This Olivia that I'm trying to puff on now is rock hard with zero draw. The head rush from pulling so hard is rough too. The burn was extremely even but this has been terrible smoking experience with a lot of my cigars. Any thoughts on this or anyone else experince this?


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

If anything, raising the rH will make the draw even tighter, because the tobacco expands the more humid it gets. Do you have a draw tool? I'd be willing to be dollars to donuts you had a plug somewhere, lowering the rH should make the draw easier, never harder.

Also, when was the last time you calibrated your humi, and how long was the Oliva and Monte in your humi? I keep my Monte 2s down around 61-62%, and they're fantastic.


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## Fuente 4 Me (May 8, 2012)

Aninjaforallseasons said:


> If anything, raising the rH will make the draw even tighter, because the tobacco expands the more humid it gets. Do you have a draw tool? I'd be willing to be dollars to donuts you had a plug somewhere, lowering the rH should make the draw easier, never harder.
> 
> Also, when was the last time you calibrated your humi, and how long was the Oliva and Monte in your humi? I keep my Monte 2s down around 61-62%, and they're fantastic.


i did the salt in the zip lock bag trick on my humi but that s not calibrating is it? i have a waxing moon box with 65 heartfelt beads and prometheus hygro. I dont have a tool for the draw and to be honest half my smokes smoke like this. and it sucks cause its the expensive ones that do. i had a gurkha 5 dollar smoke the vintage 2002 and thought it blew everything else ive tried away and that s probably not right huh?


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

Hrm... well, to be honest, I don't have an answer for you. It seems unlikely that all your cigars are plugged, but it also seems unlikely that lowering the rH would hinder the draw... like I said, generally the lower the rH, the easier the draw, all other things being equal, because the lower the rH, the drier the leaf. When you raise the rH, the leaf expands, which can sometimes cause a tighter draw...


I dunno what to tell you, man!


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

Fuente 4 Me said:


> Luckily I have some 70rf beads on the way thank god.


Thank god... nothing fixes an over-humidification problem like more over-humidification. 

Replace the batteries in your hygro, get a boveda 65% kit and calibrate with that or whatever RH you think will work best. I've never had a bad Oliva V, and all of mine are at 65%... and most of them have been lanceros that are notoriously sensitive to construction and RH.

other important info: How long have you had them in your conditions? How many hygros do you use?


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Ummm, this sounds to me like a bad case of impatience. First, anything over 65% RH is anathema to Nicaraguan cigars, especially the Serie V. These are thick, heavy tobaccos and having all that moisture in there will render them utterly unsmokeable. What you're clearly fighting here isn't 65% Rh, but more likely the 74% starting point.

You see, in almost all cases, cigars are stored at the distributor and retail level at far higher humidity than they need to smoke well. There are many reasons for this, the main one being that the seller wants to ensure the product survive long intervals in shipping, stocking, shipping, shipping, warehousing, shipping... you get the point.

Given such hefty tobaccos, it takes a LONG time for these leaves to relax and become accustomed to a new environment. For an Oliva V Torpedo to fully acclimate from the 74% it's shipped, to the 64% you want to smoke it, takes a solid 6mos. Add to that, the final fermentation cycle and I won't even touch a V for a year, post purchase. And, this is one of my absolute favorite non-Cubans.

Rest. It's your best friend.


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## Fuente 4 Me (May 8, 2012)

thinking about it I probably over exageratted how all my smokes are hard as a rock the wrapper breaks up a little and are to hard to draw. Herf I think you hit the nail on the head. I started smoking cigars heavy 7 months ago when I joined this board and when I joined I bought a box of rocky patel edge maduro and rocky patel nordings . i still have a couple of those left and I smoked a rocky yesterday and will say i did definitely misguide you guys because that smoked amazing. i was able to tell a difference when i first toasted it. i caught like a cream or butter taste not sure. i m not 100% on the descriptors yet. man ive wasted some kick ass smokes . but thats o.k. im learning. the same thing happened this year when i began roasting green coffee. i wasted a lot of amazing coffees from africa and columbia to learn how to roast and truthfully im still far off from a good roaster. i never smoked cigars much in the past because i figured id screw them up in a humidor. there is a lot to learn here and you guys are very helpful which i appreciate a lot. coffee and stogies keep you rolling. funny i posted something here two weeks ago how something is wrong because all my cigars taste alike and you guys said take off week. i did and even thought the patel edge tasted different and that gurkha 2002 vintagee (Amazing) I still find the legends, the liga 9, fuente sg's, olivia and others all tasting the same. maybe this too is because of the age? there is a little difference i shouldnt say all the same but its nothing real noticable. i buy all my smokes off c bid and i have about another 50 on the way. san cristobals, don p g blue label, diesel unlimited and a couple boxes of gran habano for my every day smoke. So with all this being said what stumps me now is what do I smoke? I smoke 2 sticks a day . I want a nice smoke like the ashton classic 898 for the morning and i want a grenade of a full body smoker for after dinner. If i have to let all these sticks i buy rest for 6months to a yr which i will do what do I buy to smoke everyday?


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## Fuente 4 Me (May 8, 2012)

the gran habano i order in a few boxes is the 2002 vintage. can they smoke since they have aged? but you mentioned that the distributor stores at 70-73 so are you saying that no matter what i get the transition time for smokes that rested at 73 going to 65 is going to take a yr to get good?


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

Fuente 4 Me said:


> the gran habano i order in a few boxes is the 2002 vintage. can they smoke since they have aged? but you mentioned that the distributor stores at 70-73 so are you saying that no matter what i get the transition time for smokes that rested at 73 going to 65 is going to take a yr to get good?


who aged them? GH '02 need 6mo minimum to be good, and are better after a year.


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## purepoker (Sep 15, 2011)

Cigar Noob said:


> who aged them? GH '02 need 6mo minimum to be good, and are better after a year.


Look, the OP clearly thinks the 2002 are aged because he believes the sticks are from 2002. He's simply asking what sticks a good to smoke rott...

I find that most orders from JR cigars come a bit dryer than some of the other more popular sites. I really enjoy bolivar and their house brand JR ultimates. Both get better with time, but i've had good luck smoking them after a month or two.


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## Danfish98 (Jun 5, 2011)

Like Derek already said, tight draw is an indicator of overhumidification. For what to smoke while you wait for your good stuff to age, (and Cbid vastly overhumidifies their stuff. Don isn't lying when he says it'll take some of those smokes 6 months to get down to a smokeable RH) I'd recommend cheapies like the Vintage 2002 and Flor de Oliva and maybe some Connecticut wrapper stuff. I've found Connecticut wrappers smoke much better than other wrappers at higher RH. For a fuller smoke I'd highly recommend the San Cristobal Elegancia. Easily the best Connecticut wrapped stick I've had.

Edit: Padron X000 maduros are ready to go fairly quickly as well since Padron uses tobacco that's already been aged before the cigar is rolled. Still may need a bit of time to dry out depending on where you buy them from though.


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## Fuente 4 Me (May 8, 2012)

Cigar Noob said:


> who aged them? GH '02 need 6mo minimum to be good, and are better after a year.[/QUOT
> 
> i did some research on this cigar on youtube with brian i believe from cigarossesion and he said its only the wrapper thats aged. weird it s called a 2002 for that.


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

Most sticks can acclimate in 3-4 weeks, so you're not talking 6 months necessarily. Smoke the older stuff in your trash and give anything new about 4 weeks, and you should be good to go. If they're not good in 4 weeks, put em away and smoke something else and revisit in another month or two.


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## Fuente 4 Me (May 8, 2012)

purepoker said:


> Look, the OP clearly thinks the 2002 are aged because he believes the sticks are from 2002. He's simply asking what sticks a good to smoke rott...
> 
> I find that most orders from JR cigars come a bit dryer than some of the other more popular sites. I really enjoy bolivar and their house brand JR ultimates. Both get better with time, but i've had good luck smoking them after a month or two.


would you recommend any connecticut wrappers from j.r.'s that can be smoked right away?


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## cigarmax (Feb 23, 2011)

Fuente 4 Me said:


> would you recommend any connecticut wrappers from j.r.'s that can be smoked right away?


get the special jamaicans. they are good and inexpensive.


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## Fuente 4 Me (May 8, 2012)

cigarmax said:


> get the special jamaicans. they are good and inexpensive.


thanks man i try them out. the mild s are for my morning smoke. I just realized from my other thread I have been lighting my cigars wrong as well. i just you tube what you guys mean by not lighting the foot. ive screwed up some nice smokes. i am disgusted about torching the monte 2 this morning.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

Fuente 4 Me said:


> Cigar Noob said:
> 
> 
> > who aged them? GH '02 need 6mo minimum to be good, and are better after a year.[/QUOT
> ...


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## Tman (Sep 12, 2010)

Oliva takes long time to go from good to great. Sorry you had a bad experience, but I would recommend you revisit the V after having it rested for 6+ months. Oliva really knows their leaf. Having said that, it took me a while to appreciate what V has to offer. They are little trickier to get it to burn right (RH% & smoking technique). Usually a cigar chock full of Ligeros like V will require more skill and preparation to enjoy fully than say... Rocky Patel.


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## Milhouse (Oct 22, 2011)

Listen to these guys, they know what they are talking about. 

You said you are at 65% now, are you using heartfelt beads? If not, get them.

In the meantime, try dry-boxing your sticks for a day or 2 to lower humidity on fresh sticks.


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## Fuente 4 Me (May 8, 2012)

Milhouse said:


> Listen to these guys, they know what they are talking about.
> 
> You said you are at 65% now, are you using heartfelt beads? If not, get them.
> 
> In the meantime, try dry-boxing your sticks for a day or 2 to lower humidity on fresh sticks.


I am using 65% now. So you say to take it out when i get some fresh sticks? I have 50 on the way.


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## Milhouse (Oct 22, 2011)

Fuente 4 Me said:


> I am using 65% now. So you say to take it out when i get some fresh sticks? I have 50 on the way.


put your new sticks in the box with the 65%beads. The beads are 2 way, they can give humidity if necessary, and they can absorb it if necessary. Chances are when you put the new sticks in, the will absorb the humidity, but it can take awhile.

you can always use extra beads to move the process along.

dry boxing is something totally different. You take an empty cigar box (without any humidification device), and place a cigar in it for a day or 2 to lower the humidity in the stick. You are essentially drying the stick out. A day or two in an environment of low humidity works wonders. The first day in the dry box will help the wrapper. The second day will do further work to the inside of the stick.

also, i'm curious about the monte 2 you smoked? Are we talking the one's with the white band or the light brown band? the latter can not be discussed in this section of the website, but like Derek said, if it's the latter, they do shine at lower rh.

good luck brother


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## Milhouse (Oct 22, 2011)

Fuente 4 Me said:


> thanks man i try them out. the mild s are for my morning smoke. I just realized from my other thread I have been lighting my cigars wrong as well. i just you tube what you guys mean by not lighting the foot. ive screwed up some nice smokes. i am disgusted about torching the monte 2 this morning.


hey, check this out, good info: How To Smoke A Cigar - YouTube


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## Wallbright (Jan 2, 2011)

This is just my opinion and I don't mean to step on any toes but I think many here forget that we are deep into the hobby. What I mean is that for most smoking a cigar is going into the cigar shop, selecting a stick, and smoking it there or taking it home in a baggie to smoke in a few days on the golf course. Most don't worry about finding the sweet spot on aging for each stick. They don't worry about how to cut/light/smoke properly and just do their own thing. I may be stepping out on a limb here but I believe some of them, not all though, enjoy the hobby just as much as we do without ever getting into humidors/coolidors/wineadors, proper rH, etc. and that is a healthy reminder at times. 

It easy to get caught up in the specifics of the hobby and forget that each person has a different preference. Some may like their cigars a little higher rH than others, and that's fine. But what it comes down to is if you are enjoying yourself. At the end of the day, these are all just suggestions and you should try to see what works for you. Yea the GH 2002 might be great 6 months to a year from now but what are you supposed to smoke in the mean time? It is not feasible for someone to sit around and age everything until the "proper" time comes to smoke it and not everyone has the luxury of aging sticks like most of us do that have been in the hobby for years. I say smoke what you like and like what you smoke. 

Cigars are replaceable and should be enjoyed, not stressed out about. If you smoke one too young chances are you have 4-24 other ones left of that stick to smoke later when it is at the sweet spot. So take all of these suggestions for what they are, suggestions, and enjoy yourself. Find what works for you and don't be afraid to experiment a little bit. At the end of the day, these are just cigars and they are meant to be stress reducers so smoke up and enjoy what life has to offer. /end of rant.


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## Milhouse (Oct 22, 2011)

Wallbright said:


> This is just my opinion and I don't mean to step on any toes but I think many here forget that we are deep into the hobby. What I mean is that for most smoking a cigar is going into the cigar shop, selecting a stick, smoking it there or taking it home in a baggie to smoke in a few days on the golf course. Most don't worry about finding the sweet spot on aging for each stick. They don't worry about how to cut/light/smoke properly and just do their own thing. I may be stepping out on a limb here but I believe some of them, not all though, enjoy the hobby just as much as we do without ever getting into humidors/coolidors/wineadors, proper rH, etc. and that is a healthy reminder at times.
> 
> It easy to get caught up in the specifics of the hobby and forget that each person has a different preference. Some may like their cigars a little higher rH than others, and that's fine. But what it comes down to is if you are enjoying yourself. At the end of the day, these are all just suggestions and you should try to see what works for you. Yea the GH 2002 might be great 6 months to a year from now but what are you supposed to smoke in the mean time? It is not feasible for someone to sit around and age everything until the "proper" time comes to smoke it and not everyone has the luxury of aging sticks like most of us do that have been in the hobby for years. I say smoke what you like and like what you smoke.
> 
> Cigars are replaceable and should be enjoyed, not stressed out about. If you smoke one too young chances are you have 4-24 other ones left of that stick to smoke later when it is at the sweet spot. So take all of these suggestions for what they are, suggestions, and enjoy yourself. Find what works for you and don't be afraid to experiment a little bit. At the end of the day, these are just cigars and they are meant to be stress reducers so smoke up and enjoy what life has to offer. /end of rant.


well said, this post put a smile on my face.


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## Fuente 4 Me (May 8, 2012)

Milhouse said:


> well said, this post put a smile on my face.


Second that! Guys thanks so much for the feedback..the Monte 2 was the brown lablel..I finally got the feel Down today for toasting the cigar rather then burning it. I think that mouth had been what ruined it. Only thing that has been getting frustrating with a lot of smokes in the box is the first third and even a little into the second third are very hard to draw ..I will try the dry box method though and hooefuly that will work..most of my smokes wrappers are craving a little too and tearing apart a little so I just assumed they were to dry already.


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## purepoker (Sep 15, 2011)

can youtake a picture of your stash and set up?


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

purepoker said:


> can youtake a picture of your stash and set up?


trolling for cigar pron?!


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## kevink (Sep 13, 2012)

Wallbright said:


> This is just my opinion and I don't mean to step on any toes but I think many here forget that we are deep into the hobby. What I mean is that for most smoking a cigar is going into the cigar shop, selecting a stick, and smoking it there or taking it home in a baggie to smoke in a few days on the golf course. Most don't worry about finding the sweet spot on aging for each stick. They don't worry about how to cut/light/smoke properly and just do their own thing. I may be stepping out on a limb here but I believe some of them, not all though, enjoy the hobby just as much as we do without ever getting into humidors/coolidors/wineadors, proper rH, etc. and that is a healthy reminder at times.
> 
> It easy to get caught up in the specifics of the hobby and forget that each person has a different preference. Some may like their cigars a little higher rH than others, and that's fine. But what it comes down to is if you are enjoying yourself. At the end of the day, these are all just suggestions and you should try to see what works for you. Yea the GH 2002 might be great 6 months to a year from now but what are you supposed to smoke in the mean time? It is not feasible for someone to sit around and age everything until the "proper" time comes to smoke it and not everyone has the luxury of aging sticks like most of us do that have been in the hobby for years. I say smoke what you like and like what you smoke.
> 
> Cigars are replaceable and should be enjoyed, not stressed out about. If you smoke one too young chances are you have 4-24 other ones left of that stick to smoke later when it is at the sweet spot. So take all of these suggestions for what they are, suggestions, and enjoy yourself. Find what works for you and don't be afraid to experiment a little bit. At the end of the day, these are just cigars and they are meant to be stress reducers so smoke up and enjoy what life has to offer. /end of rant.


+1. 65% hasn't been working so well for me personally. I raised it up closer to 70/70 and am enjoying my cigars more. Cigars seem less harsh. Wrappers glow, deep in color, and are velvety to the touch- not dull and brittle. But that's just me and my opinion.


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